Instructor Class Description

Jewish Literature: Biblical to Modern

A study of Jewish literature from Biblical narrative and rabbinic commentary to modern prose and poetry with intervening texts primarily organized around major themes: martyrdom and suffering, destruction and exile, messianism, Hasidism and Enlightenment, Yiddishism and Zionism. Various critical approaches; geographic and historic contexts. Offered: jointly with JSIS C 312.

Class description

For WINTER 2004: For simplicityís sake letís call this 3000 years
in ten weeks. In order to reduce that already vast reduction to a few words I will list the headings of sections of the course: Jewish
Literature as Jewish History; Biblical Narrative; Martyrdom and Suffering; Destruction and Exile; Exile and Yearning; Messiah and the End of Days; Hasidism and Enlightenment; Zion rejects Exile; Exile in the New World; and a section on modern apocalyptic visions of the 1930s and 1940s. In this mammoth and, I hope, exhilarating task, we will see how a common culture coheres over time and how writers are obliged by the conditions of the world to depart from that coherence. All readings in a course packet; lecture, discussion and short essays.

Student learning goals

General method of instruction

Recommended preparation

Class assignments and grading

The information above is intended to be helpful in choosing courses. Because the instructor may further develop his/her plans for this course, its characteristics are subject to change without notice. In most cases, the official course syllabus will be distributed on the first day of class.Additional ENGL course descriptions.
Last Update by Sherry May Laing
Date: 10/30/2003

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Modified:April 23, 2014